Home Is Where You Are

by Melissa Grace

Suddenly, Mama’s loud meow interrupted my thoughts. “I’ve got it,’ Liv said, wiping her hands on a dish-towel on the counter. She crossed to the back door and opened it, letting out a shrill scream before taking off out the back door. “Oh my God! Mama!” “What’s wrong?” I rushed outside to find her chasing Mama around in an attempt to get her to drop the very stunned, or very dead, chipmunk she held in her jaw. “Drop it, Mama!” Liv shrieked. “Bad cat! No!” Mama dropped the chipmunk who, much to my surprise, was alive. Seeing it attempt to scurry away, Mama went into attack mode again. I dove for Mama as Liv lunged for the chipmunk. Liv’s face crumpled with horror when she realized she’d grabbed the rodent with her bare hands. “Oh my God! What do I do? What do I do with it, Jax?” I howled with laughter because I didn’t know who looked more terrified: Liv or the chipmunk. “If I put it down here, Mama will find it, and I cannot be finding dead baby chipmunks.”